


Clothes and Tears

by Tch0upi



Series: Welcome Back, Dollop-Head [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Feels, Fluff, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 08:55:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5491247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tch0upi/pseuds/Tch0upi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur just came out of the lake, and is confused. Why is Merlin there, crying at him? And why do his memories of Camlann feel so far away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clothes and Tears

Merlin was there. Arthur didn’t really understand why but he was relieved to see him, as if seeing him meant everything was alright. And after all, it had always been like this. Merlin was his source of stability, of comfort. But right now Arthur wasn’t sure exactly why he was feeling this way. He wasn’t sure if he was sad or just confused. He had just walk out of a lake with no clue whatsoever of the reason why he was in the lake. What he did know, though, was that he remembered clearly the moment he… — died? fell asleep? — laid in Merlin’s arms. He could remember the warmth of his manservant’s body, holding him… He remembered how bad he felt, empty, weak, dying… But he hadn’t been dying, had he? Because he wouldn’t be here right now, walking, standing, feeling better than he ever did before.

Maybe Merlin could tell him everything. But before the king could ask what had happen, he realized the trails of tears slowly making their way down Merlin’s cheeks. He felt a twinge in his heart at seeing this. Why had Merlin been crying?

"Merlin, what is it?"

The man seemed genuinely surprised at his words. He frowned in an innocent way before he pulled himself together. His hand quickly wiped away a few tears and a smile, brighter than the sun, appeared on the brunette’s pale face. A smile Arthur could only remember too well. Now that was the Merlin he knew. But why did everything felt so far away?

"Nothing, sire. I mean Arthur. I mean…" Merlin laughed a little, looking stupid but touching, in a way. "I mean, how are you feeling?"  
"I feel confused, Merlin. Would you care to tell me why I’m in a lake, and why you’ve been crying? What happened for God’s sake?"

It was strange. In another time, he would’ve been angry and would’ve demanded straight away at his servant to explain to him what did all of that mean. This was ridiculous, really. But Arthur felt… weird. He felt like nothing was normal. He remembered Merlin and he remembered feeling hurt, the pain shooting throughout his entire body. And Merlin was crying. "Thank you", Arthur had said. But why? He remembered the battle, he remembered Camlann, and Mordred…

"What do you remember?" Merlin asked, in a low voice.

And Arthur told him everything that he did remember. Merlin listened to him with an expression to his face, one Arthur had never see. Then, there was a silence.

"Merlin?"  
"You, uh… You died, Arthur."  
"What?"

That would make sense, but… How? How was he here now?

"I’ll explain everything, Arthur. But let's take you out of the water first. It's cold." Arthur couldn’t agree more on that. He nodded, but as Merlin started to make his way out of the lake, Arthur following close behind him, Arthur noticed just how bad his friend was shaking. When they stepped on dry ground, Arthur hurried ahead and took hold of Merlin’s arm, turning him over.

"Merlin, what is it with you? What…"

He stopped in his track when he saw the tears, fresh and new ones, falling from his very blue eyes. Merlin looked startled, but he didn’t say anything. He just looked at Arthur and wiped another few tears from his face.

"You’re crying", Arthur stated. "And what are these weird clothes?"

They were, in fact, so weird and unlike everything he ever saw that Arthur couldn't describe them. But in a way they suited Merlin.

Merlin slowly looked at his clothes before turning his head away. He looked, again, as if he was about to cry. Arthur could remember very well how he hated that expression on his always smiling manservant.

"It’s nothing, you prat. I just…"

But Merlin couldn’t hold it anymore. He could not keep it in him. He just broke down, started crying and sobbing. But what surprised Arthur more was that between suppressed sobs, Merlin was laughing hysterically.

"I just can’t realize you’re here, Arthur."

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, even though he had to admit he was at a lost for words. Did Merlin actually miss him? For Merlin to miss him at the point of crying like a child, he must have been gone for quite a while…

"Come on, Arthur. Come with me. I’ll tell you everything."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! There will be more little stories! :)


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